Cannabis: 10 rooms in the house had been used to cultivate the drug (Image: Karl and Ali/Geograph.org.uk)

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A criminal gang cultivated a £5 million cannabis farm out of a Grade II listed stately home.

The mob turned the large home into a drug production depot after paying the owner Paul Davies to rent it out.

They turned 10 rooms in the house into a cannabis farm with a street value reportedly around £5 million.

Today three members of the group were found guilty at Carlisle Crown Court of conspiracy to supply cannabis between May 2011 and May 2012.

Five other members, including Davies, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to their part in the conspiracy.

The cannabis farm, which had the Class B drug growing in 10 rooms of the house, was said to have had a street value of over £5 million.

Senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS North West, Isla Chilton, said it had been a professional operation described as "an extremely large cannabis farm in a quiet village in the heart of Cumbria".

She added: "This was a professional set up, whereby cannabis was being grown in at least 10 rooms in the house. A large diesel generator was bought in to power the electricity needed to maintain the plants in order to avoid unusually high utility bills.

Drugs: The men all appeared at Carlisle Crown Court (Image: Google Street View)

"The owner of the house, Paul Davies, was paid handsomely for renting it out to the other gang members specifically for the purpose of growing cannabis.

"The CPS and Police are dedicated to bringing to justice those involved in producing and supplying drugs and will continue to work together using the proceeds of crime act to trace and recover any profits they have made from this illicit enterprise."